Court hearing for a Non-Contact Order

A hearing is a formal session with a judge. At the hearing the applicant can say why they want a Non-Contact Order. The offender will also get a chance to speak.

The applicant doesn’t have to attend. The judge can hear what they think by reading what they put in their application form. The victim advisor at the court can also tell the court about their views. The offender does have to attend.

If you have a lawyer, they can come with you or attend on your behalf. The judge will then decide if a Non-Contact Order should be put in place.

The judge’s decision

The judge will usually make their decision in the court room. However, they can ‘reserve’ their decision instead, which means they tell the 2 sides about their decision at a later date.

If the judge grants a Non-Contact Order, the offender will be served with the Order. This means a court bailiff or a private process server or the police will hand-deliver a copy of the Order to them.

A copy of the Order will also be given to the applicant and to the local police station.